Wayward by Blake Crouch (2013)
More leisurely paced: enlightening
Book cover blurb
Welcome to Wayward Pines, population 461. Nestled amidst picture-perfect mountains, the idyllic town is a modern-day Eden...except for the electrified fence and razor wire, snipers scoping everything 24/7, and the relentless surveillance tracking each word and gesture.
None of the residents know how they got here. They are told where to work, how to live, and who to marry. Some believe they are dead. Others think they’re trapped in an unfathomable experiment. Everyone secretly dreams of leaving, but those who dare face a terrifying surprise.
Ethan Burke has seen the world beyond. He’s sheriff, and one of the few who knows the truth—Wayward Pines isn’t just a town. And what lies on the other side of the fence is a nightmare beyond anyone’s imagining.
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My Review
Compared to Pines, the first book in the trilogy, this second offering, Wayward, is a very different experience, but I guess it had to be really.
Wayward doesn't have the frantic tension of the first book, and for the most part, we have a far better idea as to what's going on while reading. The first half or two-thirds of the book feels quite slow but I think that's simply because the speedy pace of the first book is still fresh in the mind. The last third of the book is where things get really interesting and intriguing and really start to make it hard to put the book down.
For once I don't have any big gripes about this Crouch offering. Yes, there are a few little niggles that caused me to question a few whys and hows, but can't you say that about every book? But there were also a number of points that made me smile with a mental thought of 'oo, nice touch.' Not wanting to give any real spoilers but the 'God complex' was so fitting and absolutely believable of that character.
Unfortunately, the closer we get to the end the more predictable the ending became. But really it was the only ending that would have worked and it presents such a big hook to ensure you read book 3 The Last Town. There is obviously a solution to the problem of overall survival for the townsfolk, enter Tobias and the knowledge he has, but I for one can't comprehend what the next instalment might give us.
Even though this second book wasn't as much of an exciting read as the first, I did still thoroughly enjoy it. In fact I think I enjoyed the overall content and plot more than I did with Pines, but for edge of your seat reading Pines still holds the mantle.
My copy of this novel
Thomas & Mercer paperback edition.
Published in 2013
298 pages
ISBN 9781477808702